Near ultimate goal, says Ahmadinejad

Iran’s President signalled defiance a day after UN monitors said Tehran was flouting demands to halt its sensitive nuclear work, saying on Thursday the Islamic state was close to achieving its “ultimate goals”.

Iran’s President signalled defiance a day after UN monitors said Tehran was flouting demands to halt its sensitive nuclear work, saying on Thursday the Islamic state was close to achieving its “ultimate goals”.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the West of trying to stop Iran’s atom programme in order to reduce its influence in the world, but made clear it would not yield to the pressure.

“The enemies want us to surrender so that Iran won’t have anything to say in the world,” Ahmadinejad told a group of military commanders, according to the ISNA news agency. “With the backing of the Iranian nation we are not afraid of the enemies’ psychological warfare and with God’s help we have come close to our ultimate goals,” he said in the speech.

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He spoke a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran was making substantial advances in uranium enrichment in defiance of world demands, opening the way to harsher sanctions against Tehran over fears it is seeking atom warheads.

Iranian officials said the IAEA report showed the country had successfully expanded its nuclear work and that it was peaceful, adding UN inspectors had access to its plants.